Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $120.83 and last traded at $119.8740, with a volume of 174490 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.76.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EL has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James Financial raised Estee Lauder Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $103.00.

Estee Lauder Companies Trading Up 0.4%

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $107.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market cap of $42.98 billion, a P/E ratio of -46.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.14.

Insider Buying and Selling at Estee Lauder Companies

In other Estee Lauder Companies news, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 34,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,196,785.96. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total transaction of $476,971.20. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 13.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 39.1% in the fourth quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 4.2% in the third quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 2,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $232,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust boosted its position in Estee Lauder Companies by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR grew its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 7,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $595,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

About Estee Lauder Companies

Estée Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE: EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder, the company has grown from a small family business into a multinational consumer-products enterprise headquartered in New York City. Its activities span product research and development, brand and product marketing, manufacturing and global distribution across multiple retail channels.

The company’s portfolio includes a mix of legacy and prestige brands that target different consumer segments and price points, with well-known names such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer and Jo Malone among others.